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The Pittsburgh Penguins have ruled out promising rookie winger Rutger McGroarty and four other players due to injuries with three games remaining in their season.

Pittsburgh (32-35-12, 76 points), which has been eliminated from postseason contention, announced Thursday that McGroarty (lower-body injury) and forwards Tommy Novak (lower body), Blake Lizotte (undisclosed), Noel Acciari (undisclosed) and Matt Nieto (undisclosed) will be sidelined.

The Penguins have games on Friday at New Jersey and at home on Sunday against Boston and April 17 against Washington.

McGroarty missed practice Thursday after taking a shot off his left skate during Pittsburgh’s 5-0 victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.

McGroarty, who turned 21 on March 30, has one goal and two assists while averaging 14:37 of ice time in eight games. He was playing on the first forward line with superstar center Sidney Crosby.

The Winnipeg Jets selected McGroarty 14th overall in the 2022 NHL draft and traded him to Pittsburgh in August 2024 for forward Brayden Yager.

“It’s disappointing because he was playing real well and we thought it was a great experience for him to get NHL games,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.

McGroarty could heal in time to be sent back to the franchise’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, for a playoff run. He had 14 goals and 25 assists in 60 games with the AHL squad.

“We’re hopeful that Rutger’s injury will come around,” Sullivan said. “We’re hopeful that Wilkes-Barre will play long enough that he has an opportunity to help them continue to have success down there. That’s an important experience for him as well.”

Acciari, 33, has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 79 games this season. Lizotte, 27, has 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 59 games. Nieto, 32, has one goal and two assists with 20 blocks and 39 hits in 32 games.

Novak, 27, appeared in two games since the Penguins acquired him from Nashville on March 5. He collected 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) in 52 games with the Predators.

Pittsburgh recalled forwards Vasily Ponomarev, Emil Bemstrom and Valtteri Puustinen from the AHL on an emergency basis.

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Vols name Aguilar starting QB after Iamaleava exit

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Vols name Aguilar starting QB after Iamaleava exit

Tennessee named senior Joey Aguilar its starting quarterback Sunday.

Aguilar transferred from UCLA to Tennessee in April, a day after former Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava joined the UCLA Bruins, in what essentially was a college football quarterback trade.

Aguilar had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA during the winter portal and was in line to start for the Bruins until UCLA signed Iamaleava.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel noted Friday that Aguilar was “handling himself extremely well” and praised him for being “extremely comfortable” commanding the Vols offense in such a short amount of time.

Aguilar beat out redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger for the job.

Aguilar threw for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions last season.

Tennessee opens the season Aug. 30 against Syracuse.

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Harbaugh mum on U-M sanctions: ‘Not engaging’

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Harbaugh mum on U-M sanctions: 'Not engaging'

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Jim Harbaugh is refusing to comment on the NCAA’s decision to fine the University of Michigan tens of millions of dollars and to suspend football coach Sherrone Moore for a third game due to the sign-stealing scandal that occurred during Harbaugh’s tenure at his alma mater.

Harbaugh stayed mum on the Wolverines when he stepped to the podium at SoFi Stadium on Saturday night following his Los Angeles Chargers‘ 23-22 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams for his first interaction with the media since the NCAA’s rulings were announced Friday.

“Like I said to you last year, not engaging,” Harbaugh said. “Not engaging.”

The NCAA sharply criticized Harbaugh’s stewardship over the winningest program in college football when it announced the sanctions, saying it had “overwhelming” evidence of a cover-up by the Michigan staff. Harbaugh has always claimed he didn’t know about the sign-stealing and scouting operation run by Connor Stalions.

Michigan only avoided a multiyear postseason ban because the NCAA decided it wasn’t fair to the Wolverines’ current student-athletes to penalize them for the misdeeds during Harbaugh’s tenure, which culminated in a national championship in January 2024.

He jumped back to the NFL two weeks later with the Chargers, and the NCAA hit him in August 2024 with a four-year show-cause order for recruiting violations. Harbaugh now faces a 10-year show-cause order following the conclusion of the four-year order, which effectively serves as a 14-year ban from college football.

Michigan has said it will appeal the NCAA’s decision, claiming the body has made errors in interpreting its own bylaws while drawing conclusions that are contrary to evidence.

Moore was Harbaugh’s assistant for six years before getting the top job upon Harbaugh’s departure. Moore will be suspended for two games this September and for the Wolverines’ 2026 season opener in Germany.

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Sources: Bama RB Miller set to miss FSU opener

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Sources: Bama RB Miller set to miss FSU opener

Alabama tailback Jam Miller, the No. 8 Crimson Tide’s top returning rusher, suffered an upper-body injury in a scrimmage Saturday and is expected to miss the Aug. 30 season opener at Florida State, sources told ESPN.

Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer said in a statement Sunday that Miller was hurt and had a medical procedure following the scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“Jam Miller suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday’s scrimmage and went in for a procedure on Saturday evening,” DeBoer said. “Jam should recover fully with a timetable for his return yet to be determined.”

Miller, a senior from Tyler, Texas, led Alabama tailbacks with 668 yards with seven touchdowns on 145 carries in 2024.

Sophomores Richard Young (146 yards, 2 touchdowns in 2024) and Daniel Hill (61 yards, 1 touchdown) figure to get the bulk of carries against the Seminoles in the opener (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), along with Louisiana transfer Dre Washington.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe, now a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks, was the team’s leading runner with 726 yards and 20 scores last year. Tailback Justice Haynes, who ran for 448 yards with seven touchdowns, transferred to Michigan.

The Crimson Tide are trying to bounce back from last season’s 9-4 campaign, their first with more than three losses since Nick Saban’s first season at Alabama in 2007.

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